UK sales of colour cosmetics predicted to reach £2.5bn by 2021

Sales of colour cosmetics in the UK is set to reach £2.5bn by 2021, according to new research by market analyst Mintel.

Researchers predict the market will grow by 36% from now until 2021, based on figures which saw sales reach £1.8bn in 2016 and set to reach £2bn by the end of 2017 – a 7.2% increase in the space of a year.

83% of UK women wear make-up, with the most purchased products within the past 12 months being mascara (57%), lipstick (49%) and liquid/cream foundation (46%), the report found.

“The colour cosmetics category continues to show strong year-on-year growth, particularly driven by the fashion for the ‘no make-up make-up’ look, which requires more products, time and skill than the name might suggest,” said Roshida Khanom, associate director for beauty and personal care at Mintel.

The data also showed that the face and lip colour sectors saw the biggest rise in sales, driven by the “no make-up” make-up trend – face colour products rose by 10% to £580m in 2016, while sales of lip colour also grew by 11% to £304m in the same period.

Why women buy make-up
Researchers also delved into the reasons women buy make-up, with 35% saying they like to use make-up to subtly enhance their features, 12% like to experiment with different looks and 7% use products to create a bold or dramatic look.

Covering up sleepless nights is also motivator for Brits splurging on products with 41% using them to conceal tiredness, 39% to cover blemishes and 25% to look more youthful, the data showed.

For younger beauty buyers, it’s about taking great selfies, with almost a quarter (22%) of 16–24 year olds wearing make-up so they are camera-ready – up from an average of 7%.

“Colour cosmetics remains a transformative sector, both with regards to appearance as well as emotional wellbeing. With confidence rating higher than attractiveness as an emotional impact of wearing make-up, brands should use it as a tool for revealing inner beauty and focus more on strength and empowerment,” adds Khanom.

Trends impacting sales
And it seems that the increase in sales in other sectors is also related to current trends, with three in 10 women (29%) having tried the eyebrow defining look, and more than a quarter (27%) stating they would like to try the trend in the future.

The report also found that 24% have experimented with nail art and 20% face contouring. However, not all trends have taken off, including the ombre lip – with 55% not knowing what this is, and only a mere 6% of women having tried out strobing.

Two in three respondents (69%) said that make-up trends are too time consuming, while 72% avoid them as they think the result can look unnatural.

“With too much choice and too little time, consumers are looking for shortcuts to help the decision-making process. When it comes to make-up trends, there are more opportunities for sales assistants to showcase new styles, either on themselves or on customers,” says Khanom.